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We are considering buying a vacation home or condo at the Lake of the Ozarks. We want to be right on the water and close to some of the fun but do not need to be right in the middle of it.

I am not familiar with the layout, where is the best area to live?

I know there are several (Osage Beach, Sunrise Beach, etc), can anyone describe the different areas and possibly tell me the pros and cons of the different areas? Too touristy, too far from everything, good location, etc....

Where we are at now used to be very isolated, but man has the area grown since the 50's when my grandparents originally bought the property. I don't go by towns, I go by lake area. We are in Ivy Bend. Very nice area. Not alot of big boats, but in the last couple of years we have noticed they are getting bigger. We can still get out on the lake with the kids and ski, we let them tube. The big problem in our area is the wave runners, people turn their kids loose on them, they come too close to the dock.

Anyway, Ivy Bend is between the towns of Stover and Laurie on 135 hiway. Lake road 12. It is a good half hour drive to either town from home. Definitely not a touristy area where we are, mainly private homes, most right on the lake. Majority of people are retired and live there year round. We are weekenders, my dad lives there.

Where we are at now used to be very isolated, but man has the area grown since the 50's when my grandparents originally bought the property. I don't go by towns, I go by lake area. We are in Ivy Bend. Very nice area. Not alot of big boats, but in the last couple of years we have noticed they are getting bigger. We can still get out on the lake with the kids and ski, we let them tube. The big problem in our area is the wave runners, people turn their kids loose on them, they come too close to the dock.

Anyway, Ivy Bend is between the towns of Stover and Laurie on 135 hiway. Lake road 12. It is a good half hour drive to either town from home. Definitely not a touristy area where we are, mainly private homes, most right on the lake. Majority of people are retired and live there year round. We are weekenders, my dad lives there.

Yes Ivy Bend is good area.Since the MDC put the New Ramp in though are you seeing more traffic?

Our place is on Horseshoe Bend between MM3 and 4. It's easy to get to, fairly close to shopping but not too close to the strip or Osage Beach. But the main channel is brutal on weekends and our docks take a beating from the waves. If we had to choose a new place we'd look along the north shore (off Hwy W) or somewhere on the east side of the Gravois Arm.

Another thing to consider is where you'll be coming from - east, west, or south? We used to live in Columbia (now Chicago) and my in-laws come from St. Louis so locations on the north and east side of the lake are easier for us.

BoatFamily... Are you still looking for a place at the Lake of the Ozarks? We have been coming here for over 30 years and have lived here the past 6 years, so am pretty familiar with the lake area. If you are looking for a weekend place, where you are coming from makes a big difference: (1) most people from Illinois area tend to stay on the East side of lake (Lake Ozark, Osage Beach) and, as someone else indicated, the North Shore off of W-Road (county) is the closest, it's not quite as busy of an area but has just enough development to find a very nice & reasonably priced place and is close & convenient to the East side (which has the most shopping, restaurants, golf, etc) - since you are most likely boating people, it is also one of the "more quiet" and best areas to boat; (2) the Horseshoe Bend (Lodge of 4 Seasons resort location) and Turkey Bend (Tan-Tar-A resort location) are the most developed and have the greatest selection of homes and/or condos (a lot more) albeit somewhat higher priced (even in the back of coves!); at the same time, it is more congested and usually involves a greater time to get to your place (one main road in/out) but is slightly closer to the action on the East side as mentioned -- the boating in this area tends to not be for the faint of heart (min 25 Ft boat and not during the peak times); (3) further Southeast is the Camdenton area, which is the favorite for people in the South St Louis area (coming in from I44) and from the South; it has experienced growth over the past few years and has a reasonable selection of fairly new homes and condos, good golfing and excellent boating (out of the main stream) - fewer restaurants and limited shopping (Walmart); (4) I am less familiar with the West side (Laurie, Sunrise Beach), but it tends to be popular with the Kansas City/Kansas people; recently there have been some nicer newer condos built; however, the choice & quality of homes will be very limited -- boating will generally be good; shopping is not so good; more restaurants to chose from, but are mostly waterfront geared toward boaters; (5) In the Northwest area is the Gravois Mills - here too, the selection of newer nicer homes or condos is limited (there are a few); there is virtually nothing to do but boat or fish (which can be good since it's not as busy) and it's a long drive to the East side.

If you are still looking for a place... we have a place we are trying to sale. It's off of the W-road on the North Shore that is close-in to the East side (less than 2 miles down W from Hwy 54, the main artery). It's a 2nd tier lot with a great panoramic view of the main channel (we can see the dam) -- we are overlooking the lake about 100 ft above the water and about 200 ft away (so really close). It's 4BR, 3-1/2 Bath, 3622 Sq Ft (2 levels) home and we have a 12x32 boat slip in the community dock. It has 3 fireplaces, 2 - 12x36 Decks (LL screened) with Hot Tub (UL) that is loaded with features -- we bought the lot and custom built in 2006, thinking that it would be our retirement home (but things change). We have one of the very few homes in the lake area with a large, level front yard and with a view of the Lake! It's located in Beacon Pointe, which is a great subdivision of mostly fulltime, retired people; it also has a great community clubhouse and pool. If you are interested, please call Doug at 573-434-2936 (cell).

Is there room for another Bait and Tackle shop on Lake of the Ozarks, or Truman Reservoir?
Where is the best area to build, start or replace one be?
I was thinking in the northern area like Gravois Mills, however since Ive never been there I wouldnt know. From reading the previous posts I wold like the peacefull places but it think a place with a little traffic would be needed. Also a place that wouldnt break the bank would be nice.

Our experience tells us that the most rapidly developing portion of the Lake area is on the West side in The Villages at Shawnee Bend and Porto Cima. Both are very upscale home developments with prices ranging from $600,000 to over 6 million dollars but because of terrific infrastructure and amenities like streetlights, tennis courts, pools and restrictive covenants, resale values are much higher. The Villages at Shawnee Bend in particular is a very attractive community for retirees and those seeking vacation homes in an upscale, secure, safe environment where neighbor integrity is assured.

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